1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wind instrument mouthpieces and more particularly to clarinet and saxophone harmonic mouthpieces with sympathetic reeds. More specifically, the invention contemplates a modification of the mouthpiece for single reed instruments, such as clarinets and saxophones, wherein an improved independent and interchangeable secondary reed, having mounted thereon a wedge, is positioned inside the hollow mouthpiece chamber, the secondary reed vibrating sympathetically when the primary reed is placed in vibrating motion during ordinary use of the instrument to which the mouthpiece is attached and the wedge altering the cross-sectional area of the tone chamber of the mouthpiece, and whereby the mouthpiece vibrates in harmonic resonance with both the primary and sympathetic reeds.
2. General Background
Interchangeable, wedge-shaped members have been positioned within the interior of mouthpiece chambers of woodwind instruments in order to change the cross-sectional area of the chamber and, thereby, modify the tone quality that is produced. Such structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,397,593 issued Apr. 2, 1946, to Brilhart; U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,032, issued Aug. 24, 1965, to Strathmann, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,530,155, issued Nov. 14, 1950, to DeLuca. U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,827, issued Aug. 16, 1977, to Daglis, discloses a tone-enhancing element that is incorporated within the mouthpiece of a reed instrument, the element having two steps projecting into the air flow-through passage of the mouthpiece at a point opposite the opening over which the reed is mounted. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,224,719, issued Dec. 10, 1940, to Brilhart and U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,855, issued Mar. 7, 1950, to Gamble, disclose adjusting the tone quality of woodwind instruments by including means which contact the primary reed in order to alter the tone quality produced by the instrument. Another mouthpiece is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,583,382, issued May 4, 1926, to Bauer, wherein a single piece of stamped, bifurcated metal is secured to the inside surface of the mouthpiece, where functioning depends on a critical position in the mouthpiece of the inserted piece of metal in order to accomplish tone alteration. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,223, issued Jul. 15, 1980, to the present inventor, a mouthpiece for a woodwind musical instrument is disclosed which contains a primary reed and a secondary reed positioned within the interior of the mouthpiece and which is positioned substantially parallel to the primary reed. While the inventor""s prior patent has proven successful in altering the tonal quality of reed instruments, the present invention provides a more easily interchangeable member adaptable to both conventional and specifically adapted mouthpieces, which combines a secondary reed with a wedge-shaped member placed thereon to alter the tone quality of the reed instrument. The secondary reed in the present invention has a wave configuration in combination with very specific shapes for the wedge. Further, the mouthpiece itself is designed to vibrate in harmonic combination with the primary and secondary reeds. None of the other mentioned patents contains a disclosure of a secondary reed suspended in the instrument mouthpiece tone chamber substantially parallel or offset to the primary reed, nor do any of the patents disclose the interchangeable, tone-altering member of the present invention, which includes a combination of a sympathetically vibrating secondary reed and a wedge-shaped member placed thereon, which alters the cross-sectional area of the tone chamber or a vibrating mouth piece.
In accordance with the present invention, a new design for a woodwind musical instrument mouthpiece is provided capable of harmonic vibration. The mouthpiece fitted in the interior thereof with an interchangeable tone-altering member comprising an interchangeable secondary reed having a wave form which vibrates inside the tone chamber of the mouthpiece for the purpose of adding intensity and character to the tone quality when the mouthpiece is played with an associated appropriate musical instrument and which includes on one end thereof a wedge-shaped member which alters the size of the tone chamber and, thereby, further changes the tone produced by the instrument. The instruments which are particularly contemplated for modification according to the teachings of the present invention include but are not limited to various types of clarinets and saxophones, such as a B-flat clarinet, an alto clarinet, a bass clarinet, and the like; also contemplated are alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, baritone saxophones, soprano saxophones, bass saxophones, and the like. The interchangeable, tone-altering element is preferably mounted within the interior of the tone chamber such that the secondary reed is positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the longitudinal extent of the tone chamber. The wedge-shaped member is positioned on the flat side of the secondary reed facing the primary reed and is positioned on the secondary reed at the end nearest the opening of the mouthpiece. The wedge-shaped member tapers in the direction of the opening of the mouthpiece. The combined tone-altering member is positioned within the interior of the tone chamber and retained therein by friction alone on opposite sides of the tone chamber. By varying the sizes and shapes of the wedge, the interchanging of the combined tone-altering element will thus modify the tone or sound of the instrument and allow the individual artist to produce the varying types of sound that may be required. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a vibrating mouth piece in accordance with the Boehm theorem, which stipulates that in order to achieve a brilliant and sonorous quality from a wind instrument it is necessary that the molecules of the instrument be set in motion simultaneously with vibration of the air column in a manner so that they assist each other.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mouthpiece for reed instruments wherein the mouthpiece is provided with an interchangeable, tone-altering member mounted within a wind instrument mouthpiece for altering the tone produced by the instrument. Another object of the invention is to provide an interchangeable tone-altering member which can be positioned within the interior of the mouthpiece of a wind instrument, the tone-altering member comprising a secondary reed which vibrates sympathetically within the tone chamber of the musical instrument mouthpiece and a wedge positioned on one end of the secondary reed for altering the cross-sectional area of the tone chamber. Still another object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece for a wind instrument with an interchangeable, tone-altering member formed of a secondary reed which vibrates sympathetically with the primary reed of the instrument and which further includes a wedge positioned on one end of the secondary reed for altering the cross-sectional area of the tone chamber, the interchangeable member being positioned into and out of the interior of the tone chamber by friction, the wedge portion in contact with the side walls of the mouthpiece.